Fayetteville Technical Community College Association of Nursing Students The Fayetteville Technical Community College Association of Nursing Students ( FTCC ANS ) has a tradition that few people outside of North Carolina are aware of . The Comfort Bear program was created in 2019 after a friend of one of the ANS members experienced a loss and was given a comfort bear . The nursing program and Cape Fear Valley Medical Center ( CFVMC ) collaborated to deliver hand-sewn weighted teddy bears manufactured by nursing students to mothers who had regrettably lost a baby . This semester , the students sold delectable popcorn to raise funds needed to support the creation of these unique teddy bears . The members also donated supplies and were able to create more Comfort Bears and fund several projects that would support the local communities . These resourceful nursing students buy all the materials , plan Saturday bear stuffing parties , and spend hours manually sewing these weighted teddy bears . Once they are finished , they donate them directly to the Labor and Delivery floor at CFVMC where they will be placed in the arms of mothers and siblings . This beautiful program continues to be a humbling experience for all involved . The response has been so large that the ANS has been invited to the CFVMC Bereavement Conference that informs new nurses on how to comfort and educate those experiencing fetal loss . The president of the FTCC ANS , Natasha Randall , said when asked , “ As nursing students we know that we cannot replace a mothers loss of a baby but we try to fill her empty arms with a weighted teddy bear full of love and compassion . When words cannot express what we mean , we hope these teddy bears bring a little peace and comfort for the days to come .” •
24 NSNA IMPRINT • NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022 • www . nsna . org